Crew Update: The Book's Headed to the Presses (+ a cover surprise)
Hey Crew,
BIG NEWS
The 2026 Sketchbook is officially at the printer. We're sending back our final edits today, which means we should be able to give the green light on Mond...
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Steve Rude the Dude
about 1 month ago
Sketchbook Update plus Special Bonus Offer
SKETCHBOOK IS BACK FROM THE EDITOR
The 2026 Sketchbook ended up at 160 pages! It's back from the Editor and (pending Steve's approval) is headed to the printer on Monday. ...
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Steve Rude the Dude
about 1 month ago
The 2026 Sketchbook is officially a book!
Thanks again for hanging in there with us. The 2026 sketchbook is officially put together at 160 pages and has now gone to the editor to catch all the spelling mistakes I ma...
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Steve Rude the Dude
2 months ago
Crew Update: 48 Hours Until Launch
Hey Crew,
We're 48 hours away from the launch of our next crowdfunding campaign, Nexus: The Battle for Thuneworld Gallery and Studio Edition Hardcover, so here's where thing...
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Steve Rude the Dude
3 months ago
An Overdue Update (and a Big Thank You) from Rude Dude Studios 💙
Hey Rude Dude Crew!
First things first — I owe you an apology and an explanation. It's been over a month since I've sent any kind of update on the 2026 sketchbook crowdfunde...
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Steve Rude the Dude
4 months ago
WE DID IT! Thank You + What Happens Next
Hey friends!
The campaign is officially in the books and wow... YOU did it. Again.
Every time I think this community can't surprise me, you prove me wrong. From the bottom ...
We’ve been calling this project the Nexus Compendium, but a lot of folks thought that meant another Omnibus. What we’re really making is a deep, behind-the-scenes reference book about Nexus history, so we’re testing a clearer name. Which name best captures what this project is?
The 2026 Sketchbook is officially at the printer. We're sending back our final edits today, which means we should be able to give the green light on Monday and get those presses rolling. After all the Saturday mornings that went into this thing, it feels really good to say that out loud.
Couple of fun changes to tell you about. You know Steve — when something isn't up to par, it gets fixed. He took another look at the Dave cover and decided to swap it out for an absolutely killer Nexus cover instead. We think you're going to love it. We're also switching out the notebook for the same Nexus image.
Here's how the timeline shakes out:
Digital downloads should be ready for you this weekend — so you'll have something in hand right away.
Physical shipping kicks off end of June or early July, depending on exactly when the books land in-house from Canada.
In the meantime, we're already in full assembly mode over here — building boxes and pulling together all the goodies and extras that go in with your order. It's starting to look like a proper operation around the studio.
And hey — Steve's back on the livestream today at 1:30 PM Pacific / 4:30 PM Eastern. Come hang out, watch him draw, and ask whatever's on your mind. These Saturdays are the best part of our week. → https://www.youtube.com/steverudethedude
One quick favor: we're still waiting on a few exit surveys before we can lock everything in. If you're one of the 23 BackerKit backers or 6 Kickstarter backers who haven't finished checkout yet, hop in and knock it out so nothing holds up your shipment. Log into your Backerkit account, click on your icon and go to your Pledges and Surveys.
Thanks for hanging in there with us — this is the fun part now.
The 2026 Sketchbook ended up at 160 pages! It's back from the Editor and (pending Steve's approval) is headed to the printer on Monday. That gives us a June shipping date.
FINAL EXIT SURVEY - TEST SENT
The test for the exit survey was sent yesterday and we did note an error. Once Backerkit helps us fix that we'll send it out to everyone.
NEXUS THUNEWORLD LAUNCHES AT 10 AM PACIFIC / 1 PM EASTERN
SPECIAL DEAL FOR BACKERKIT - USE THE HIDDEN LINKS BELOW TO:
Access the deals without extra charges to back the campaign
FREE worldwide shipping on this portion of your order
We will ship with your 2026 sketchbook
FIRST WEEKEND: FREE EARLYBIRD GIFT PACK
Back during opening weekend with any Gallery Unsigned, Gallery Signed, or Studio Edition book and the Earlybird Gift Pack is on us. Free with the book.
What's inside:
11x14 Nexus Family Print, unsigned (upgrade to signed for $10 after the campaign)
Nexus logo sticker
Trading card set of 9 cards
Double-sided bookmark
FCBD SPECIAL: AVAILABLE APRIL 30 TO MAY 3
This one's a separate add-on, but it's a beauty. For $25, you get one random preview book plus the complete digital set of all 5 preview books. That's a $99 value.
The preview books are something special. They show pencils, inks, and the full script. The full script is NOT included in the Gallery or Studio Edition Hardcovers. If you want to see how Steve built Battle for Thuneworld from the page up, this is the deepest dive you'll get.
Each preview book is
36 to 52 pages
8.5" x 11"
Saddle stitched
Professionally printed on high-quality stock
Random book ships unsigned (upgrade to signed for $10 after the campaign)
